Process contaminants research

A wide range of chemical contaminants can be formed in food by cooking or other forms of processing. The aim of the research is to understand the mechanisms by which process contaminants are formed during food production and to identify the means to reduce or eliminate them.

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This survey sampled 248 UK retail products that included French fries, crisps, bread, cereals, biscuits, coffee, baby food and a wide range of other products e.g. popcorn, cakes, pastries and chocolate. The number of analyses carried out was 248 for acrylamide and 92 for furan.

During the period of November 2011 to December 2012, this survey sampled a wide range of 300 UK retail products that included French fries, bread, cereals, biscuits, coffee, baby food, popcorn, cakes, pastries and chocolate. There were 294 analyses for acrylamide and 113 for furan, on a combination of the retail products.